Remain or Leave The EU – Facts Help

University of Liverpool Law School’s Professor Dougan advises Governments on the implications of EU law – so he is well placed to speak.

Here follows my PRECIS of Professor Dougan’s talk on the facts about staying in or leaving the EU – but do watch the riveting talk he gives via the link above. It’s easy listening and clear as a bell. (He’s voting REMAIN).

Precis Of The Talk

We have not and do not give up sovereignty under the EU. We and all of the other European countries protect out own individual sovereignties as a matter of course when negotiating in the EU. Our sovereignty cannot be taken away by the EU.

The most comprehensive review of the EU 2012-14 undertaken by the Civil Services throughout the EU and including the UK concluded that the EU is beneficial – or as they said ‘What’s the problem?’

If we leave, UK legislation will have to be picked apart completely. This is a massive undertaking that Parliament will not be able to do in a timely manner. Government will do it.

If we leave, a Comprehensive Framework Agreement For Future Relations with the EU must be undertaken. It will take at least 10 years to work out because the current framework is the largest and most comprehensive by far anywhere in the world.

The unique achievement of the EU is the Regulatory Framework of the Single Market. It authorises goods made to one country’s standards to be sold in another country within the EU.

If we leave the EU, we will not be offered access to the regulatory framework because the Leave campaign want to reject free movement of people and that is integral to the framework.

Therefore, trade will be affected adversely because the UK will not have the right to claim it satisfies EU standards.

If we leave, the 60 or 70 trade agreements with other countries will by-and-large end because they were negotiated within the framework of the EU – Leave the EU and the agreements no longer hold.

We are successful with trade agreements with other countries precisely because we made those agreements as part of the EU.

The USA, China, and India have all said that without the EU, Britain does not have a lot to offer.

My position is simple – I voted ‘Remain’ because I want to be part of Europe so I can enjoy it without barriers.

If we leave, there will be suspicion and dislike just like with any divorce. And we can’t afford that and it is not good for our mental health and wellbeing. I suspect a lot of people who want to leave are sublimating other feelings of anger about other wrongs that they feel have been done to them.